The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-09-09


New York. But it amt safe to laugh
till one is out of the woods, ashore or
TO sea.
On the evening Of July 8, 1877, the
ship, going six knots an hour in a
heavy beam sea, struck reef they say
wasn't laid down on the chart. The
fore and main topmasts went by the
board, knocking the mate from the
t'gallant fo'csle and breaking the sec
ond mates shoulder. But the worst
was, three planks was sprung off the
stern, below the water line, on one
side, and butt started to'ther. There
was just time to get the boats over,
huddle aboard and pull off. 1 never see
a ship 90 down so sudden in all my
ec'lection!
I'd sailed bo's'n with the old man a
vi'ge before, so he gimme charge Of
the smallest boat, and it being the
staunchest of the two, by rea-
son of water-tight compartments,
the wimmin was transferred to
it from the long boat, which leaked
bad. Lucky for Miss Doris and her
| aunt it were so; for that night we
caught the butt end of Chiny sea
| typhoon and it was miracle the boat
lived through it. T'other one didn't
at least it was no where's to be seen in
| the morning. But we see something
elsa big eight hundred ton Japanee
| junk dismasted to lOo'ard. And two
hours after sun up, the whole of US
nine including the wimmin-was took
aboard safe and sound.
The pilot, who was a funny little
Jap which talked with his hands bet
tern his tongue, explained the situa-
ton to Jack and me in tolerable good
! pigeon English The Ninlsbi, it seems,
was kind of a pleasure vessel belong
| ing to some of the royalty to Yeddo.
She was blowed off'n the Kiusiu
islands, where they was cruising, and
besides being dismasted in the typhoOn
| her sailing master, three or four Off
GERS, a dozen sailors and the pinnacle
was sweep away by big sea!
Jack, 1 says, kind of private, ''it's
an i'll wind that blows nobody good
if this here don't turn out a tidy bit OF
salvage I lose my guess" 1 sent him
to the cabin aft for to see how the land
| lay and took things in my own hans,
which nigh as 1 could find out was just
what they wanted.
There was something like sixty
Japanee sailors aboard-smart and
| willing, but they all wanted to boss
so of course couldn't do nothing.
made the pilot interpreter, and wha
with our chaps and the Japs them
selves, we rugged a couple of jurymas
in no time and set some spare sails
Then took the boat compass aft anC
laid a course about nor northwest, &C
cording to the pilots reckoning. Afte
which / had wash, tidied up a bi
and went aft to hunt up master Jack.
1 s'pose there's no curioUsser Graf
floats than one of them fiat-bottOmeC
iunks. And this one was something {
little extry, as 1 see at a glance. Tn,
! galleries either side the tiller on thu
high poop was painted in bright greer
| and weller, whilst the main saloon ri,
above deck was carved all over will
curtis birds and monkeys till they {
dazzle your eyes.
The saloon inside was finished in pol
ished camphorwoOd. with mirrors anC
painted panels. Hanging all ROUND
were lanterns and Towering vines anC
bird cages. There was stationary ebony
tables, lounges inlaid with mOther-of
pearl and lacquer cabinets, and at thu
further end gilt shrine with a LAM
burning before it.
But all this was nothing to the res
of it. There was dozen or so hand
somely-dressed Japanese ladies-most
ly young-squatting in half circl,
round a sort of n divan. And if you'll
believe me, sitting on the divan be
twixt the prettiest little japanese WON
an ever laid eyes on and a fat, jolly
looking old Jap IN a green gown anC
petticOat breaches, was Jack himself
talking and laughing dif'rent from an!
thing ever l saw him do before, willis
the old party was interpreting what h,
said to the rest.